Hi. I haven't posted here for a while I know.

Does anyone know (a site) where I can find fake rockery stones/bricks?

I'd just resigned myself to spending another 100 pounds on granite blocks on
a garden I still might move away from this year, when I heard this thing
about granite mining destroying tigers' habitats. I always thought they were
just blowing up bits of Wiltshire or something! Durr, like there's any
granite in Wiltshire. They sell rockery stone at B&Q but they don't seem
very reliable about it, and I'm not sure of the source there either, and
ideally at this point I need something I can work with with more easily than
jagged rocks.

I know of the 'splitstone' bricks etc offered by Buildbase which would be
fine for my needs -- except that they expect you to build walls two bricks
thick and cope them by laying the bricks transverse - not what I had in
mind. You can't use them for coping otherwise and it's mainly coping I need
them for. I don't want walls two bricks thick, and I want some bits to look
natural, so I can't be doing with fake stones that only have one side. If
anyone knows where they shape concrete all round or on two sides next to
each other, I'd be glad to hear about it.


Warwick Dumas

--
"No matter how much you think you have succeeded in business, if you have
razor wire on your boundary fences, and live in fear of being mugged because
you have failed to take everyone in society along with you, success is an
illusion. " - Digby Jones, Director of the CBI

"Warwick Dumas" wrote in
message ...
Hi. I haven't posted here for a while I know.

Does anyone know (a site) where I can find fake rockery
stones/bricks?
snip
Warwick Dumas

The late Jeff Hamilton used to make fake rocks in the Gardeners World
program...........maybe someone has an URL for the info (I can't find
it!)

There's also this book:
http://www.rockandwater.com/Artifici...rfallsBook.htm

HTH Jenny

From what I remember, it consisted of the following.

1 Dig a rough "rock shaped" hole
2 Line it with polythene
3 Mix concrete and peat substitute
4 Dump in hole and leave to dry
5 Pull out (a friend may be helpful for this step).

A similar "fake Dublin sink" can be made using a large lined box with a
smaller lined box to for the "inside" of the mould.

The peat substitute was in there to give a result that was less "concrete
grey" and which also "took" lichen/moss/clinging plants readily.

I imagine any good DIY book will give some reasonable concrete mix recipes.
You may want to choose a slightly stronger mix to allow for the affect of
the peat substitute.

Also, if you're intending making a lot, a concrete mixer is a must (hire
one). Even apparently small amounts of concrete can be back-breaking to mix
by hand (say's he from experience!).

Paul DS.

"Paul D.Smith" wrote in message
. net...

Also, if you're intending making a lot, a concrete mixer is a must (hire
one). Even apparently small amounts of concrete can be back-breaking to
mix
by hand (say's he from experience!).


And remember - concrete is very heavy, care you don't end up with an insitu
cast stepping stone!

pk

From what I remember, it consisted of the following.

1 Dig a rough "rock shaped" hole
2 Line it with polythene
3 Mix concrete and peat substitute
4 Dump in hole and leave to dry
5 Pull out (a friend may be helpful for this step).

A similar "fake Dublin sink" can be made using a large lined box with a
smaller lined box to for the "inside" of the mould.

The peat substitute was in there to give a result that was less "concrete
grey" and which also "took" lichen/moss/clinging plants readily.

I imagine any good DIY book will give some reasonable concrete mix recipes.
You may want to choose a slightly stronger mix to allow for the affect of
the peat substitute.

Also, if you're intending making a lot, a concrete mixer is a must (hire
one). Even apparently small amounts of concrete can be back-breaking to mix
by hand (say's he from experience!).

Paul DS.

"Paul D.Smith" wrote in message
. net...

Also, if you're intending making a lot, a concrete mixer is a must (hire
one). Even apparently small amounts of concrete can be back-breaking to
mix
by hand (say's he from experience!).


And remember - concrete is very heavy, care you don't end up with an insitu
cast stepping stone!

pk

In article ,
Warwick Dumas wrote:

I'd just resigned myself to spending another 100 pounds on granite blocks on
a garden I still might move away from this year, when I heard this thing
about granite mining destroying tigers' habitats. I always thought they were
just blowing up bits of Wiltshire or something! Durr, like there's any
granite in Wiltshire. They sell rockery stone at B&Q but they don't seem
very reliable about it, and I'm not sure of the source there either, and
ideally at this point I need something I can work with with more easily than
jagged rocks.

The mind boggles. As half of the north and west is granite territory,
importing the stuff is just plain insane. Many farmers would be happy
for people to take away granite boulders for nothing!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 9 Jul 2003 08:17:54 GMT, Nick Maclaren wrote:

In article ,
Warwick Dumas wrote:

I'd just resigned myself to spending another 100 pounds on granite
blocks on
a garden I still might move away from this year, when I heard this thing
about granite mining destroying tigers' habitats. I always thought they
were
just blowing up bits of Wiltshire or something! Durr, like there's any
granite in Wiltshire. They sell rockery stone at B&Q but they don't seem
very reliable about it, and I'm not sure of the source there either, and
ideally at this point I need something I can work with with more easily
than
jagged rocks.

The mind boggles. As half of the north and west is granite territory,
importing the stuff is just plain insane. Many farmers would be happy
for people to take away granite boulders for nothing!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

That's what I did - Ok it's Austria, but I don't see why farmers in the UK
should be much different.
They often pile up the "findlings" in a field somewhere and leave them for
ever, overgrowm with elderberry bushes. If I spot a rock I like, I ask the
farmer if I can have a couple. I've not been refused yet.

Tim.

"Paul Kelly" wrote in message
...

"Paul D.Smith" wrote in message
. net...

Also, if you're intending making a lot, a concrete mixer is a must
(hire
one). Even apparently small amounts of concrete can be
back-breaking to
mix
by hand (say's he from experience!).


And remember - concrete is very heavy, care you don't end up with an
insitu
cast stepping stone!
pk


Found these for you Warwick:

http://webspace4me.net/~mikehill/pag...d/recipes.html

http://www.webspace4me.net/~mikehill...rdanrocks.html

http://pages.prodigy.net/airs/rocks/making.htm

Jenny

Thank you all for your help.

Warwick Dumas


--
"No matter how much you think you have succeeded in business, if you have
razor wire on your boundary fences, and live in fear of being mugged because
you have failed to take everyone in society along with you, success is an
illusion. " - Digby Jones, Director of the CBI
"JennyC" wrote in message
...

"Paul Kelly" wrote in message
...

"Paul D.Smith" wrote in message
. net...

Also, if you're intending making a lot, a concrete mixer is a must
(hire
one). Even apparently small amounts of concrete can be
back-breaking to
mix
by hand (say's he from experience!).


And remember - concrete is very heavy, care you don't end up with an
insitu
cast stepping stone!
pk


Found these for you Warwick:

http://webspace4me.net/~mikehill/pag...d/recipes.html

http://www.webspace4me.net/~mikehill...rdanrocks.html

http://pages.prodigy.net/airs/rocks/making.htm

Jenny

JennyC wrote:

"Warwick Dumas" wrote in
message ...
Hi. I haven't posted here for a while I know.

Does anyone know (a site) where I can find fake rockery
stones/bricks?
snip
Warwick Dumas

The late Jeff Hamilton used to make fake rocks in the Gardeners World
program...........maybe someone has an URL for the info (I can't find
it!)

There's also this book:
http://www.rockandwater.com/Artifici...rfallsBook.htm

HTH Jenny

The late Geoff did indeed do this.. The recipe is in quite a few of his
books (and now other ppls of course).. Its known as 'Hyper Tufa' Hyper
eg its quick, Tufa is well tufa, but imitation in this case..

It is certainly in his Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening.. The full
version..


Try searching the URG archives at google also.. Am sure the exact
instructionsare in there somewhere.

Failing that try a good stone merchants..
/
//
Jim

"....... I heard this thing about granite mining destroying tigers'
habitats....."

"...... The mind boggles. As half of the north and west is granite
territory, importing the stuff is just plain insane. Many farmers would be
happy for people to take away granite boulders for nothing! ...."

There you are.....case proven
People have removed Granite stones from the North, and now you wont find one
tiger anywhere in northern UK, well not in the wild.


--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

The message
from "Warwick Dumas" contains
these words:

Hi. I haven't posted here for a while I know.

Welcome back.

Does anyone know (a site) where I can find fake rockery stones/bricks?

I'd just resigned myself to spending another 100 pounds on granite blocks on
a garden I still might move away from this year, when I heard this thing
about granite mining destroying tigers' habitats.

Must work, because there's no tiger habitats left in Scotland's
granite quarries.

Janet.

Warwick Dumas wrote:
Hi. I haven't posted here for a while I know.
snip
I always thought they were just blowing up bits of Wiltshire or something!
Durr, like there's any granite in Wiltshire.
snip

Warick, you would be surprised what's here in Wiltshire.

Warwick Dumas wrote:
Hi. I haven't posted here for a while I know.

Does anyone know (a site) where I can find fake rockery stones/bricks?


These places tell you how to make your own.
http://pages.prodigy.net/airs/rocks/making.htm

http://www.efildoog-nz.com/hypertufa.htm